Support structure



United States Patent [72] Inventor Edward Hopper [5Q] References Cited 3 lfluls Sw m Ark/mm UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,413,310 4/1922 Wunsch l43/34 P 799339 2,941,555 6/1960 HornbosteL. 143/32 [22] PM 1969 3 140 736 7/1964 Propst 144/34 [45] Patented Dem a 1970 v Primary Examiner-Donald R. Schran Attorneys-Alva H. Bandy, William G. Gapcynski and [54] SUPPORT STRUCTURE Lawrence A. Neureither 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl.....- 143/32, ABSTRACT: This invention concerns a support structure 143/34 capable of being mounted upon a small boat and capable of [5 1] Int. Cl B27b 17/02 carrying a sealed pneumatic saw to be used to eliminate un- [50] Field ofSebrch 143/32, 34, derwater obstacles by cutting off the underwater obstacles 68; 248/(lnquired) below/the water line.

PATENIEU m 8 I970 INVENTOR EDWARD HOPPER ATTORNEY SUPPORT STRUCTURE The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a support structure designed to ease the task of removing underwater obstacles. Prior art methods have proved to be inconvenient and costly. The present structure provides an efficient and inexpensive means for the underwater positioning of a sealed pneumatic saw capable of cutting away water hazards.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION It is another object of this invention to have the water obstacle constrained by the support structure and the sealed pneumatic saw as the saw is cutting so that thesaw can effectively cut through the obstacle. l

It is the final object of this invention to have the. sealed pneumatic saw controlled by an operator from above the water line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIQNOF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 depicts the support structure as it would appear mounted upon a small craft.

FIG. 2 is a closeup View of the support structure.

FIG. 3 depicts the manner in which the V-grooved plate of the support structure and the sealed pneumatic saw cooperate to hold an underwater obstacle while the sealed pneumatic saw cuts through it.

DESCRIPTION OF HE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodiment of the invention consists of tow longitudinal structural members 1 and 17. They are parallel to each other and are rigidly positioned by the fastening to them of structural cross members 16, 18 and 2 as shown in FIG. 2. In this mannera rigid rectangular structure is created. V- grooved plate 4 is welded to the ends of longitudinal structural members 1 and 17 as shown in FIG. 2. Flanges 5 and 6 and rails 8 are affixed as depicted in F IG. 2. These members act as a protective shield for the scaled pneumatic saw. Mounting bar 3 and its pivot rod 9 are affixed to V-grooved plate 4. Control rod 10 rides within its support sleeves l2 and 19. Support bars 20 and 21 are afiixed at right angles to longitudinal structural member 17 and position support sleeves 12 and 19 as de-- picted in FIG. 2. Handle 11 is armed at right angles to control rod 10. Rotating rail 14 is affixed to longitudinal structural members 1 and 17 as shown in FIG. 2. Adjustment holes 13 and .15 are placed through longitudinal structural members 1 and 17, respectively.

In actual operation, a sealed pneumatic saw is pivotally mounted upon pivot rod 9 with control rod 10 affixed to the saw so that by the rotation of handle 11 about the axis of control rod 10, the sealed pneumatic saw is pivoted about pivot rod 9. The lengths of control rod 10 and longitudinal structural members 1 and 17 can be varied to permit use in any desired depth of water. Adjustment holes 13 and 15 can be any number, five are depicted in FIG. 2. Adjustment holes 13 and 15 give the operator a finer adjustment to the cutting depth of the saw once appropriatelengths of control rod 10 determined.

The support structure is easily mountable upon any small boat by the fastening of support plates. 7 to the deck of the boat as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Support plates 7 contain a hole capable of receiving fastening pin. 22. Support plates 7 are spaced upon the deck (FIGS. 1 and 2) so as to be alined with the longitudinal support members 1. and 17 when the support structure is positioned upon the deck. When the support structure is positioned between support plates 7 and the desired adjusting holes 13 and 15 are alined with the respective holes in the support plates 7, fastening pins 22 are inserted. Due to the slight overhang at the edge of the deck of the holes in support plates 7 (FIGS. 1. and 2), the support structure becomes freely rotatable through 90 about fastening pin 22. By simply raising rotating nail l4, V-grooved plate 4 with the attachedsealed pneumatic saw is lowered into the water. Structural cross member 16 and rail 18, in addition to providing rigidity to the structure, act as counterweights in the lever-fulcrum arrangement of longitudinal structural members 1 and 17 and support 'plates 7 with fastening pins 22. The

result is the offsetting of the weight of the sealed pneumatic saw and thus the casing of the raising and submerging of the sealed pneumatic saw.

To remove an obstacle, the support structure is rotated about pins 22 so as to lower the saw and V-grooved plate 4 into the water. By maneuvering the boat, the obstacle is placed into the V of V-grooved plate 4.The operator, by the manipulation of handle 11, cuts off the obstacle by causing the sealed pneumatic saw to rotate in towards the bight of the V groove. In this manner, the obstacle is, in effect, held by the sealed pneumatic saw and the V groove during the cutting process (FIG. 3) thus achieving :an efficient and inexpensive means of removing obstacles.

The support structure of this invention can be made from any number of structural materials, the preferred embodiment being made from conventional stocks of iron. Any number of dimensional relationships may be used depending upon the depth of the water in which the cutting of the obstacles is to take place and the size of the obstacles which are to be removed.

Iclaim: v l

1. A support structure comprising: i

a. a first and a second parallel longitudinal structural member containing a number of matching adjustment holes;

b. a first cross member attached to both of said first and second parallel longitudinal structural members near the same end of each of said first and second longitudinal structural members; I

c. a plate attached at right angles to each of said first an second parallel longitudinal structural members and at the end of each of said first and second parallel longitudinal structural members which is nearest said first cross member;

d. means attached to said plate near said first parallel longitudinal structural member which are for mounting to i said plate a sealed pneumatic cutter;

e. a rod running parallel to the full length of said first parallel longitudinal structural member for manipulating said sealed pneumatic cutter; V I

f. counterweights attached to both of said first and second parallel longitudinal structural members near the end opposite to said plate;

g. support plates containing holes for alinement with said longitudinal structural members and with the holes contained within said longitudinal structural members; and

h. fastening pins for rotatably fastening said longitudinal structural members to said support plates.

2. The support structure as described in claim 1 wherein said plate is in the shape of a V. 

